High lift fabric for laminated lubricator wick



HIGH LIFT FABRIC FOR LAMINATFD LUBRICATOR WICK Filed sept. a, 1955 R. J. HARKENRIDER ETAL July 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 5, 1960 R. J. HARKENRIDER ETAL 2,943,378-

HIGH LIFT FABRIC Foa LAMINATED LUBRICATOR wrox Filed Sept. 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent CHFAEQ@ HIGH LIFT FABRIC FOR LAlVIINATED LUBRICATOR WICK `1"4 Claims. (Cl. 2'8-78) This invention relates to a high lift fabric for laminated lubricator Wicks or the like, and more particularly, to such a fabric having improved lubricant lifting qualiA ties.

Patent No. 2,708,611, granted to Robert l. vHarken.- rider on May 17, i955, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes a laminated lubricator body for diesel locomotive traction motor suspension bearings comprising alternating layers of relatively thick layers'of coarse material such as felted wool and relatively thin layers of fine threads or yarns, such as cotton, having a high capacity for lifting lubricant.

As disclosed in said patent, felt of desired density and coarseness for lubricating purposes will lift oil a maximum ofabout three to four inches. Felt material thatis dense enough to lift oil ve to six inches does not lift the oil fast enough and tends to clog with dirt too readily along the lubricator surface that is to be applied against the journal to ybe lubricated. IFine bers on the other hand lift better than felt, but do not make as good applicators due to the tendency to clog and glaze( Said `patent vdiscloses that in felting fibers of suitable density and coarseness to make a lubricant applicator, inserts of fine fibers, vegetable or animal, may be embedded in the fabric. Animal fibers mat together due to minute scales on their surfaces, while vegetablev fibers, 40 for instance, do not have felting characteristics because of the absence of those scales. However, in felting animal fibers to form the desired lubricating body, fine vegetable fibers, woven or unwoven, may be incorporated in the body, the felted animal fibers encompassing the vegetable fibers so applied and embodying them in the lubricating body.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a high lift fabric that, when incorporated in .lubricator bodies such as the type described in the above men tioned patent, will materially increase the lubrication provided by such lubricator bodies.

Another object of the invention is to provide a high lift fabric in which the capillary action provided is controlled and standardized 'by using a specified twist in spinning the yarn out of which the fabric is made.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a high lift fabric made from yarn composed mainly ofl synthetic protein fibers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a laminated lubricator body in which the various layers thereof are more cohesively bonded together than was heretofore possible, thus providing improved transfer of lubricant from the high lift portions thereof to the lubri- 55 cant applying portions thereof.'

Other objects, uses and advantages will be obvious, or `become apparent from a consideration of the follow-- ing description and the drawings. ji

In `the drawings: Y 70 t FigureV 1 Vis a transverse vertical sectional view through a typical motor suspension bearing and the `axle to which o journal, as shown in Figure l.

2 it is applied, showing our improved lubricator body applied to the journal;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of one of the lam-V inated felt bodies employed as illustrated in Figure 1, with parts broken away for clarity of illustration;

Figure 3 is an end view of the lubricator body shown inFigu-re 2;V ,j

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of a sliver of fibers that is spun into the yarn from which our improvedr fabric is woven; Y.

Figure 5 kis a diagrammatic plan view illustrating `a portion of a single yarn employed in our fabric;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view along' line l6,--6 of Figure 5;

, Figure 7 is a view `similar yto that of Figure 5 illustrating a plied yarn employed in our fabric;

Figure S is a crosssectional view along lineVS-I-S. of

Figure 9 is plan view of a portion `of a fabric employed in the laminated lubricator bodies illustrated in Figures lf3;

Figure 1.0 is similarto Figurer9 Vbut illustrates a modi-` lied fabric; and

Figure l1 is a diagrammatic. fragmental large` scale` cross sectional view along line 11- 11 of Figure 3.

But the diagrammatic drawings and the corresponding. description are used for the purpose of `disclosure only'.`

In Figure 1, the reference numeral -10 indicates a familiar form of motor suspension .bearing provided with a liner or shell 111 forming the actual bearing for theV shaft or axle 12. f Associated with these elements isha motor suspension bearing cap or ,axle cap 13. secured to,y the motor suspensionbearing by bolts 14 and provided with an oil reservoir 15.

The `object oft the lubricator .of lthis invention'is toiliftthe oil or lubricant from the reservoir -15 and apply itto',

the axle 12 through the Window opening '16 in theV shell or liner v1.1. That function is performed by `a felt body` disclosed in Patent No. 2,640,742, granted June 2, 19,53, the disclosure of which is incorporated, by reference in interests of brevity.

' It is commercially difficult to makeV arlubricator body i of the type shown in Figure v1 havingA sufficient Varea to cover the surface o f the journal exposed in the window opening with the fibers substantially endvvise to lit evenly against Vthe journal, and feed evenly tothe'sur'face. For` that reason, the applicator is made up `of a group of felt bodies, one of which is shown in Figures 2 andV 3. The individual bodies 20 may have individual holders or may have the same holder Aas .disclosed in the above men# tioned patent. l

As shown in Figure 2 the lubricator body has a thickened portion 23 'provided with -a curved surface 24 adapted to bear against the surface of the journal and apply the lubricant. The curved surface 24 is preferably an arc of a circle having a radius equal to that of-the Depending from the thickened portion 23 is a wick 25 intended to yhang in the oil reservoir and lift the oil and apply it to the thickened portion 23. .I t

nated and` consists of alternating layers of carded `wool or felt 26 and Woven line material 28. ,Thewoven fabric 2.8 is preferablygso oriented with respect Vtot-he felt lami# nation that the 4arcuate cut for the surface 24 linds all' warp and Woof strands o f the 'fabric 28 making asubstantial angle with'thevareuatesurfpace 24.

The'fabric 28"const`itutes an important feat-ure of our.A

invention. Generally speaking, -a fabric made in accord- Patientieti July- 5, 1961)` As indicated in Figures 2 and 3, the body 2t? islami` 3 ancewith the principles about to be discussed provides a capillary material that not only lifts oil higher but which also aids in binding the lubricator body together into a more cohesive mass than was heretofore possible.

We have found that at least two factors have an irnportant bearing on the high lift characteristicsvo'f yarn, namely the diameter, or denier, of the fibers employed in spinning the yarn, andthe amount of twist in the resulting. yarn.

Yarns made from small denier fibers (that is, fine fibers) lift more oil because they have greater fiber surfaces. That is, the increased fiber surfaces provided by employing Yfiner fibers in standard size yarn provide more capillaries of a size best adapted for lifting liquids. Parenthetically, it may be added that the lubricant is lifted in the capillaries formed by the small spaces between the outer surfaces of the fibers, and not through any possible cores within the fibers. Moreover, we have determined that there is `an optimum size of the capillaries for good oil wicking. If they are too small, the oil will rise toa satisfactory height but very little oil will be lifted, and foreign matter will easily block the capillaries. I-f the capillaries are too large, the oil will not be lifted to the desired height.

With respect to yarn twist, after considerable experimentation, we have found that yarn of optimum high lift characteristics may be provided by proportioning the twist in the yarn to the yarn number on the woolen system 4in accordance with the following formulae:

For single yarn (yarn that is not plied) the turns per inch in the yarn should be equal to 2.25 times the square root of the cut of single yarn, while for plied yarn, the turns per inch should be equal to 1.80 times the square root of the cut of plied yarn.

In these formulae, the constants, which may be. termed the twist factor, were determined by experimentation. The'cut refers to the cut or size of the yarn or yarn number in the woolen system. It is the number of 300 yard lengths in a pound of yarn. Thus a 17 cut-yarn contains 17 times 300 yards per pound of the yarn. The higher the number, the finer the yarn.

While the above formulae when employed in yarn making will result in yarn having consistently higher lift, the lift may be still further increasedby selecting fibers having substantially the same or equivalent characteristics hereinafter described.

One successful fabric produced in accordance with the teachings of our invention is diagrammatically'illustrated in Figures 4 through 1l, a portion of the fabric itself being generally indicated at 31 in Figure 9. The fiber composition in this embodiment consists of a uniform blend of 85% Vicara, code 500, bright, unbleached, 3 denier, with the fibers approximately three inches long, and wool, 64s quality AA type. A suitable antistatic finish, such as that sold under the trademark Avcosol 104, made by the American Viscose Corporation of Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, plus a small amount of Zelec NE, made by E. I. du `Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc., of Wilmington, Delaware, should be applied to the fibers to aid in spinning. The yarn is preferably spun on the woolen system, as distinguished from the worsted and cotton systems.

Vicara is a synthetic protein base fiber, made from corn protein, or zein, by the Virginia-Carolina Chemical Corporation. Protein fibers are known under the generic term of azlon. These fibers are smooth and have a circular diameter. Vicara is preferred because it possesses -a combination of desired properties. Foremost among these is its outstanding oil liftingl performance; With optimum fiber and yarn properties herein specified, Vicara yarn will wick oil over eight inches in twenty-four hours at 70. Vicara is outstanding in its stability to heat and acids. It will not soften below 475 F. It is at least equal to wool in heat resistance, and is similar 4 to wool in many other respects since it is a synthetic protein fiber.

There are five principal considerations involved in the selection of the type of Vicara fibers best suited for oil wicking. These are fiber code, luster, denier, finish, and staple length.

The code number indicates the extent of cure, which in turn governs the degree of shrinkage of the fiber on boiling or steaming. The low code fibers 500 and 600, have minimum shrinkage in water, while the higher codes, 800 and zycon, have maximum shrinkage. Code 500 was selected because it shrank the least and still has good oil lifting properties. Since the present felt body construction depends quite a bit on the felting through of the carded wool through the open spaces of the Vicara fabric, the high shrinkage of code 800 Vicara or zycon would tend to reduce the size of the open spaces and make felting more difficult. This could be compensated for by reducing the number of ends and picks, or Warp and Woof threads, in the fabric.

With respect to luster, bright unbleached Vicara fibers were selected, as delustering and bleaching modify the fibers and increase the costs without improving the oil lifting properties. As initially spun, Vicara fibers are bright.

With respect to denier or diameter size, it Yhas already been mentioned that small denier fibers are preferable. It has been found, for instance, that three denier fiber size Vicara yarn will lift about 50% more oil than the 5 or more denier fiber size Vicara yarn of equal weight. The 2 denier size is also satisfactory for oil wicking, but these fine fibers are more easily broken than are the 3 denier fibers.

The fiber length selected for the Vicara fabric is the longest that could be economically spun in order to have the best formed capillaries. Fibers processed on the woolen system are generally not more than three inches in staple length. -Fibers spun on the worsted system can be up to six or even 9 inches in staple length.

The finish referred to is an antistatic finish that must be applied to the fibers in order to spin the yarn. This finish must be removed from the fibers at some stage during the processing of the fabric. This is further discussed hereinafter.

The wool fiber with which the Vicara fiber is blended is a raw wool fiber of relatively small denier. The number 64 refers to the fiber diameter, and a fine wool fiber was chosen because the Vicara fiber is fine. The wool fibers were added to ease the task of spinning the yarn. It has also been found that the wool improves the bond between the layers of the fabric and the layers of felt.

The specified fiber was spun into 2-ply 17 cut yarn with the yarn twist of 91/3 turns per inch, S direction or to the left as shown in Figure 5 in the single, and 5%, turns per inch Z direction, or to the right as shown in Figure 7 in the plied yarn. This twist is in accordance with the above mentioned formulae. above, the cut refers to the size of yarn or yarn number in the woolen system. Thus a 17 cut yarn contains 17 times 300 yards per pound of the yarn. When two 17 cut single yarns are plied together, the resulting plied yarn is of 8.5 cut. If coarser or finer yarn than 2/175 cut are used, the yarn twist, in turns per inch, of both the single and the ply must be changed proportionately in accordance with the two formulae above mentioned.

The yarns of the illustrated fabric 31 were spun on the woolen system as mentioned above. The woolen system of spinning is less expensive than the worsted system as it eliminates the formation of the tops and the combing operation. While yarn spun on the woolen system lifts oil higher but carries less oil than yarn spun on the worsted system, felt bodies 20 made with Vicara fabrics Woven from yarns spun on the woolen system As mentioned4 lifted as much oil as felt bodies containing Vicara fabric, the yarnsof which were spun on the Worsted system. Yarns spun on the woolen system are not as smooth as those spun on the worsted system. The fuzziness of the woolen spun yarn'promotes fulling to form a more cohesive felt body, and probably contributes to better trans# fer of oil from the Vicara fabric to the wool felt layers. While the woolen system is thus the preferred system of spinning, yarn spun on theworsted or cotton systems will have improved high lift characteristics if the above mentioned formulae, are employed.k All of the principles herein discussed will apply to yarn regardless of how it isj spun, within the limits dictated by ber requirements for the' particular system. However, for maximum lubricant lift results, the woolen system is recommended.

Plied yarns are preferably used in weaving the fabric as single yarn would have to be sized for satisfactory weaving. When twoo`r more plied yarns are employed, we have found that it is `unnecessary to use `any sizing materials at all. Where Vsingle yarns are employed, Drisize 156, made by Colloids, Inc., Newark, New Jersey, has-'been'found to be the least objectionable size to oil wicking. f

Wehave also found that 2-ply yarns are also more uniform in size. This is an important consideration, as small defects in a yarn A.could block the passage of oil. These two advantages, namely, the elimination of sizing desizingand ymore uniform yarn overweighA the small additional cost of plying. Additionally the plied yarnconsistently lifts oil higher than single yarn of the same diameter.

I We 'have found that yarn twist is perhaps the :most important yarn factor contributing to good oil wicking properties. We have also found that Vthe size of the capillaries is regulated by the size of the yarn, the amount of` yarn twist and the direction of twist in the single and plied yarn. Experimentation has shown that yarn having twist in accordance with the above mentioned formulae lifted oil a maximum in height and amount. Asprogressively ,lesstwist than this optimum was applied, `the height and amount of oil lifted decreased. Whenappreciably moreitwist than the optimum was applied, the amount of oil lifted dropped off sharply. Twist in theyarn is also important because it influences the weavability of the yarn and the wear properties.

It was Afound experimentally that the single yarns should have approximately four more turnsper inch and in the opposite direction to the twist in the plied yarn. Theresultis a net twist that ygoverns the size of the capillaries.v` Y Y v:After ltheyarn has beenspun, itis .then woven into affabric.` Of'the vmany weaves and vknits studied, the two that have the most merit were the leno and the plain WaVe-w'l'he leno `woven fabric has good dimensional stabilityjminimum unraveling, and 4good oil transfer at thepoint of `interlacing betweenf warp and lling yarns. Theplain weaveV is less expensive, andlifted oil slightly higher'. A modified form found to be satisfactory was a fabric having a plain weave reinforced every two inches with `a pair ofleno lyarns in the warp.` In the embodiments ofthe vinvention illustrated in FigureY 9, which is a preferred form, the spun yarn is woven into a plain Weave fabric 31, as shown in Figure 9.

One of the most important steps in the preparation of a good wicking fabric is the removal of the antistatic nish that is applied to the bers to aid in processing. We have found that the chlorinated hydrocarbon type solvents do a good job of removing this nish. A satisfactory unit for performing this step of the process is the Derby Cleaner, a dry cleaning unit found in some textile finishing plants. This unit satisfactorily removes the finish and permits processing of the cloth in open Width form to minimize disruption of the open weave pattern. For instance, the solvent used in the Derby unit at Virgina Woolen Mills is trichloroethylene. Trichloroethylene is extensively used as a dry cleaning agent. Lt has been found that maximum flow of solvents should be used in this unit as the fabric is inthe bath only a very short time. At least two passes through the solvent should be made. Y

Another necessary step in the production of the Vicara fabric is the preshrinking of the fabric before felting; otherwise the fabric will pull together and prevent fulling through the open spaces in the fabric. Therefore, after the dry cleaning process, the fabric is passed through a three bowl rinse. The bowls contain water with the rst bowl 'containing a small percentage, about`0.05%, of a non-ionic wetting agent, such as Triton X-lOO, made by Rohm & H aas Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and at least one bowl should be about 140 F. After passing through the three bowl rinse, `the fabric should be dried with as little tension as possible on the Warp and with no stretch or tension in the woof. Y t In making the fabric out of whichy the laminations` for the lubricator body 20 are formed, We prefer to make the fabric inv sheets or strips 56 inches wide, 84 yards in length, and the fabric `should not contain more than the 11 ends and 9 picks per inch. n

The preshrunk fabric is now ready for the felting machine. The combining of the fabric and the layers of felt may bedone in any; conventional manner. i

Figures 4411 diagrammatically illustrate some of the features of our newA fabric. Figure 4 diagrammatically illustrates a sliver 29 ofvVicara and wool bers intermixed yfor spinning on theV woolen system. Preferably the individual bers 30 are about 3 inches inlength as mentioned above. Slivers such as that shown in Figure 4 are spun into the single thread or yarn such as that indicated in Figure V5. It will be noted that the individual' bers 30 are ynot necessarily parallel to each other, which is typical in slivers spun on the woolen system.

Yarn32of Figure-5 consists. of sliver 29 twisted in accordance with the above mentioned formula for single yarn. .As indicated ,in the figure the single yarn 32 is'. provided with atwist of 9% turns per inch in the S direction or to the left. Figure 6 diagrammatically illustrates the individual bers 30 hunched together in the yarn 32 thus providing elongate capillaries` between them, that is, between the individual fibers. Figures 5 and 6 also show that while a great proportion of the mass of bers forms the bodyY of the yarn, a plurality of loose ber ends 33 project from the yarn in all directions. This fuzziness is one feature that promotes increased transfer of lubricant between fabric 31 and the adjacent layers of felt, and also aids in fulling to form a more cohesive felt body.

Figure 7 diagrammatically illustrates a ZJply lyarn 34 having a twist of 5% turns per inch in the Z direction. This is in accordance with the above mentioned formulae for plied yarn. Figure diagrammatically illustrates the Z-plies, that is, the two single yarns 32 forming the plied yarn 34, and the individual bers 30 therein. The fuzzy ber ends 33 are also indicated in these figures.

Figure 9 diagrammatically illustrates plain weave fabrie 31employed in making the lubricator body 20. Fabric '3l-comprises warp and woof .threads or yarns 36 and 38 each comprising a plied yarn 34. Figure 10 illustrates a ;molied fabric 40 comprising a plain weave reinforced at suitable intervals, say every two inches, by a pair of leno yarns 42 and 44 in the warp. Yarns 4Z and 44 each comprise a plied yarn 34. In Figures 9 and l0 the fuzzy ends 33 have been largely omitted to avoid undue complexity of the figures, but these ends will be present in the manner shown in Figures 5-8.

Figure lll is an attempt to illustrate how the fuzzy ends 33 cooperate with the bers of the felt to promote oil exchange and fulling or felting.

While Vicara has been specied as the preferred ber in the illustrated embodiments, other bers having high lift characteristics may be employed, for instance, cotton and rayon. Cotton bers are `reasonably satisfactory, but rayon melts at relatively 4low temperatures. Vicara is preferred as it is more compatible with wool felt, since it is a synthetic protein.

The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate our invention, and the invention is not to be limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited since those skilled in .the art who have our disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein Without departing from the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a lubricator having high lift characteristics, a wicking material having a single yarn comprising spun bers having a twist in turns per inch substantially in accordance with the formula N being the yarn number in the woolen cut system.

2. In a lubricator having high lift characteristics, a wicking material having plied yarn comprising a plurality of single yarns each having a twist in turns per inch substantially in accordance with the formula N being the yarn number in the woolen cut system, said single yarns being spun to provide a reverse twist substantially in accordance with the formula P being the yarn number of the plied yarn on the woolen cut system.

3. The lubricator set forth in claim 2 wherein said yarn is spun from azlon bers.

4. The lubricator set forth in claim 2 wherein said yarn is spun from a uniform blend of about 85% Vicara fibers and about wool bers.

5. In a lubricator, a high lift fabric comprising single yarn woven into `a plain Weave,v said yarn having a twist in turns per inch substantially in accordance with the formula N being the yarn number in the woolen cut system.

6. In a lubricator, a high lift fabric comprising plied yarn woven into a plain weave, said plied yarnY comprising single yarn having a twist in turns per inch substantially in accordance with the formula N being the yarn number in the woolen cut system, said plied yarn having a reverse twist in turns per inch substantially in accordance with the formula P being the yarn number of the plied yarn on the woolen cut system.

7. The lubricator set forth in claim 6 wherein saidV fabric contains no more than eleven ends and nine picks per inch.

8. The lubricator set forth `in claim 7 wherein said single yarn is 17 cut with a twist of substantially nine and one third turns per inch, Iand wherein the plied yarn has a reverse twist of about ve and one-quarter turns per inch.

9. The lubricator set forth in claim 8 wherein the ber composition of said yarn comprises a uniform blend of about 85 code 500, bright, unbleached 3 denier, 3 inch staple Vicara bers and about 15 64s wool ber.

10. A lubricator body comprising alternate layers of felt and fabric, said fabric comprising yarns formed from bers spun into single yarns having a twist in turns per inch substantially in accordance with the formula N being the yarn number in the woolen cut system.

11. The lubricator body set forth in claim 10^wherein the single yarns are plied into a yarn having a twist in turns per inch substantially in accordance with the formula.

Lam/

P being the yarn number of the plied yarn on the woolen cut system.

12. A laminated lubricator body comprising a woven fabric received between two layers of felt, said fabric being of the open mesh type and formed from yarns formed from bers spun on the woolen system into single yarns having a twist in turns per inch substantially in accordance with the formula tsm/ P being the yarn number of the plied yarn on the woolen cut system.

14. The body set forth in claim 12 wherein the ber composition of said yarn comprises a uniform blend of about Vicara bers and about 15% wool bers.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,662,938 Richmond n Mar; 20, 1928 2,471,380 Wallwork May 24, 1949 2,504,523 Harris et al. Apr. 18, 1950 2,595,977 Peckham May 6, 1952 2,667,685 Oblitz Feb. 2, 1954 2,695,441 Runton Nov. 30, 1954 2,708,611 Harkenrider May 17, 1955 2,715,762 Schumann Aug. 23, 1955 2,743,511 Genovese May l, 1956 OTHER REFERENCES Moncrieif: Articial Fibers, 4page 222, copyright 1954, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. (Copy in Division 21.) 

